Telelearning in a partnership between a university faculty and a regional health authority: Benefits, challenges and strategies

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Abstract
The University of Calgary's Faculty of Medicine and the Calgary Regional Health Authority understand that telehealth is an evolving field requiring both academic enquiry and operational readiness. Both parties are committed to quality educational programmes — the Faculty through its commitment to excellence and the Authority with its charge to maintain and enhance such programmes. There are shared applications, multi-learner user groups, shared strategies to overcome distances and shared infrastructure—technologies, communication pathways and resources. Having embarked on a joint telelearning venture, we have learned a number of lessons. Central to progress has been an appreciation and respect for unique mandates, a spirit of trust and flexibility, an agreement on a set of principles, ongoing communication between and participation from the users and, at times, redirection. Questions being answered include the following. How well is this collaborative model working? How functional is it at this time of health reform and restructuring? Can one meet complementary telelearning goals within a faculty–health authority relationship? These all have implications for future success.